Chennai: On the match eve, England’s Joe Root was spotted in an alley, on the back road of M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, facing throw-downs with the Cyclone hit Chepauk practice facility unfit to use. His impromptu session on a tarmac held him in good stead on the opening day of the fifth Test as he scored a solid 88 and was involved in a 146-run stand for the third wicket with centurion Moeen Ali, another star of the day in England’s solid start (284/4).
Root was eventually adjudged caught behind with the initial verdict being overturned after a review. Root vented his frustration by kicking the boundary marker as he walked off.
Root said ‘street practice’ helped him iron out a few glitches going into the game. “My feet were all over the place against the seamers in Mumbai, so I wanted to iron out a few things,” said Root.
